One day, an old beggar went to the village. He knocked at the door of a rich man to beg for food. This was a big house and at the side was built a granary with a big padlock. The owner of the house was a miser and he was known for never helping anyone.

The beggar was aware of his reputation but still pleaded, "Will you give me a bit of butter or milk?"

The miser said impatiently, "No! Go away at once!"

"Perhaps you can sweep out for me a bit of grain or beans," the hungry beggar continued.

"There isn't anything in my house!"

"How about a little bit of bread?" the beggar insisted. "Only a mouthful of food and I will be very grateful."

"Go away! I don't have bread!"

"How about some water? I am thirsty."

"I don't have water."

The beggar then said sadly to him, "My friend, why are you here? You should go to some kind-hearted folk to beg for food because you are poorer than anybody else."

The miser in this story is really wealthy in a material sense, but he is extremely poor in a moral sense. Rich people without compassion and conscience are not welcome in the society. They are likely to maintain temporary wealth but not everlasting wealth. So at the same time we feed our stomach, don't forget to feed our soul.

一天，一個(gè)老乞丐來到一個(gè)熟悉的村子里。他敲上了一個(gè)富人家的門，想跟他討點(diǎn)兒東西吃。

這是一座又高又大的房子，旁邊有一個(gè)很大的谷倉，門上掛著一把大鐵鎖。這戶人家的主人是個(gè)吝嗇鬼，他從來不肯幫助別人。他的吝嗇在方圓幾百里內(nèi)是出了名的。

乞丐也知道他這種吝嗇的狼藉名聲，但還是乞求他：“您能不能給我一點(diǎn)黃油或牛奶？”

吝嗇鬼不耐煩地說：“不行！快給我滾開！”

“或許，您還能掃出一把麥子或黃豆呢？” 饑餓的乞丐又說道 。

“我家里什么也沒有！”

“那就請(qǐng)您給我一小塊面包吧，”乞丐堅(jiān)持道，“哪怕是給我一口飯吃，我都會(huì)對(duì)您感激不盡的。”

“滾開！我沒有面包！”

“那給我一口水喝，行嗎，我太渴了！”

“我沒有水！”

然后，乞丐悲哀地對(duì)這個(gè)吝嗇鬼說：“我的朋友，那你還呆在這里干什么？你應(yīng)該去找一些善良的人們討些飯吃吧，因?yàn)槟惚日l都要窮！”

故事中的吝嗇鬼在物質(zhì)方面確實(shí)是富有的，但在精神方面卻是窮得可憐。沒有同情心和良知的富人在社會(huì)中是不會(huì)受到歡迎的?；蛟S他們會(huì)贏得一時(shí)的財(cái)富，但這種財(cái)富最終曇花一現(xiàn)，不會(huì)長(zhǎng)久。所以，在填飽肚子的同時(shí)，一定別忘了豐實(shí)我們的心靈。　

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